Show decision outrages footy leaders

A battle has broken out between football power brokers and the City of Bunbury over a controversial decision to boot the South West Junior Football League off their traditional Hay Park home in favour of the Bunbury Horse and Country Music Festival.

The council’s decision will leave nearly 600 up-and-coming footballers without a home for a fortnight in April, outraging league executives who say that permitting horses to gallop in equestrian and show jumping events over the weekend of April 9 and 10 is likely to churn the Hay Park soil and make the ground dangerous for play in subsequent weeks.

South West Regional Football Development Council chairman Paul Omodei, league president Shaun Quaife and South West region football development manager Shane Atherton have grave concerns for the safety of the young footballers using the ground after the show.

The football leaders this week questioned the logic behind the decision that was rubber stamped by councillors 12-nil last December, claiming that they were not consulted before the matter was voted on and the decision went against recommendations from City Services executive manager Mike Scott.

Minutes from the meeting held on December 14 outline advice from Mr Scott saying that parks technical staff considered horse traffic and events to have the most potential for damage to the playing surface at Hay Park — a surface the council recently paid $150,000 to upgrade.

Mr Omodei, who served eight years as local government minister, said senior council staff did not make recommendations without thorough research.

‘‘They (the staff) said in their recommendation that the SWJFL should be consulted before any decisions are made,’’ Mr Omodei said.

‘‘We just do not know where we are going to be able to fixture all these games,’’ Mr Quaife said.

‘‘To not even be consulted or invited to speak publicly at that council meeting is insulting to us.’’

The motion to relocate the show from the Bunbury Recreation Ground, where it was staged last year, to Hay Park was moved by Cr Wayne Major.

Cr Major was quoted in the minutes saying the area of Hay Park being proposed was used by junior sporting clubs so the surface was not maintained at such a high level as with a senior sporting facility.

‘‘I always put double the amount of importance on making sure that junior grounds are every bit as good if not better than senior surfaces,’’ Mr Atherton said.